Welcome to the Business of Pickleball, your go-to podcast for industry insights. If you're in the pickleball business, staying informed is crucial. This podcast offers interviews with leaders actively building pickleball enterprises.
Today’s episode features hosts Robert Allen and David Feldman discussing a specialized insurance solution for pickleball clubs—the Pickleball Insurance Program (PIP). PIP provides tailored coverage quickly and easily at pippprogram.com or visit their booth at the Pickleball Brief Business Summit.
After a holiday break and successful summit, we're back with an exciting guest who shares our passion for fitness in sports—Ryan Van Winkle. Ryan has developed innovative applications within racket sports through his company Bounce, focusing on teaching and learning efficiency.
Ryan introduces the Racket Fitness Experience (RFX), which merges group fitness with racket sports, similar to OrangeTheory or CrossFit but tailored to pickleball. The program involves engaging classes using resistance bands suitable for all fitness levels, offering both play sessions and high-intensity interval training on specially designed tetra courts.
This approach not only improves player performance but also attracts new participants who are interested in fun ways to stay fit rather than traditional gym routines. RFX aims to create inclusive experiences that can bring more people into racket sports by providing diverse programming options similar to those offered by gyms.
For club owners looking to enhance member engagement and retention, incorporating unique programs like RFX can be beneficial. It creates community vibes while adding value beyond regular gameplay—perfect for attracting non-traditional players seeking enjoyable fitness alternatives.
To support participating clubs further, RFX limits partnerships geographically, ensuring exclusivity while assisting them in marketing efforts both physically at venues as well as digitally across social media platforms—helping maximize visibility among potential members locally interested in not just playing but experiencing something fresh within their routine workouts!
People might discover they enjoy pickleball by combining it with other sports, like football. This approach is similar to what RFX does by tapping into the fitness market. Clubs can target gym-goers and offer them a fun new class, drawing in fresh audiences beyond just pickleball enthusiasts.
Pickleball clubs have an edge because it's easy to learn but hard to master, unlike tennis which can be intimidating for beginners. With structured games and courts, even newcomers can quickly enjoy the sport and join leagues or tournaments.
Club owners should focus on marketing strategies that attract diverse groups since relying solely on existing enthusiasts won't sustain growth. Offering injury prevention classes could keep members engaged longer without injuries affecting participation rates.
RFX aims to create a community through its group fitness programs designed for racket sports. Unlike endurance-based activities, where competition is individualistic, these programs promote interaction among players while ensuring safety during exercises.
The business model involves revenue sharing with no upfront costs for clubs; instead of licensing fees alone as initially planned before feedback showed preference towards shared earnings between parties involved—aligning incentives better overall!
We adapted our business model, offering an annual license fee for all-inclusive clubs where revenue sharing is complex. We're exploring integrating our format into court reservation apps to track reservations effectively.
We've begun discussions with leading software companies like Court Reserve and Play by Point. With enough clubs on board, we&
Welcome to the Business of Pickleball, your go-to podcast for industry insights. If you're in the pickleball business, staying informed is crucial. This podcast offers interviews with leaders actively building pickleball enterprises.
Today’s episode features hosts Robert Allen and David Feldman discussing a specialized insurance solution for pickleball clubs—the Pickleball Insurance Program (PIP). PIP provides tailored coverage quickly and easily at pippprogram.com or visit their booth at the Pickleball Brief Business Summit.
After a holiday break and successful summit, we're back with an exciting guest who shares our passion for fitness in sports—Ryan Van Winkle. Ryan has developed innovative applications within racket sports through his company Bounce, focusing on teaching and learning efficiency.
Ryan introduces the Racket Fitness Experience (RFX), which merges group fitness with racket sports, similar to OrangeTheory or CrossFit but tailored to pickleball. The program involves engaging classes using resistance bands suitable for all fitness levels, offering both play sessions and high-intensity interval training on specially designed tetra courts.
This approach not only improves player performance but also attracts new participants who are interested in fun ways to stay fit rather than traditional gym routines. RFX aims to create inclusive experiences that can bring more people into racket sports by providing diverse programming options similar to those offered by gyms.
For club owners looking to enhance member engagement and retention, incorporating unique programs like RFX can be beneficial. It creates community vibes while adding value beyond regular gameplay—perfect for attracting non-traditional players seeking enjoyable fitness alternatives.
To support participating clubs further, RFX limits partnerships geographically, ensuring exclusivity while assisting them in marketing efforts both physically at venues as well as digitally across social media platforms—helping maximize visibility among potential members locally interested in not just playing but experiencing something fresh within their routine workouts!
People might discover they enjoy pickleball by combining it with other sports, like football. This approach is similar to what RFX does by tapping into the fitness market. Clubs can target gym-goers and offer them a fun new class, drawing in fresh audiences beyond just pickleball enthusiasts.
Pickleball clubs have an edge because it's easy to learn but hard to master, unlike tennis which can be intimidating for beginners. With structured games and courts, even newcomers can quickly enjoy the sport and join leagues or tournaments.
Club owners should focus on marketing strategies that attract diverse groups since relying solely on existing enthusiasts won't sustain growth. Offering injury prevention classes could keep members engaged longer without injuries affecting participation rates.
RFX aims to create a community through its group fitness programs designed for racket sports. Unlike endurance-based activities, where competition is individualistic, these programs promote interaction among players while ensuring safety during exercises.
The business model involves revenue sharing with no upfront costs for clubs; instead of licensing fees alone as initially planned before feedback showed preference towards shared earnings between parties involved—aligning incentives better overall!
We adapted our business model, offering an annual license fee for all-inclusive clubs where revenue sharing is complex. We're exploring integrating our format into court reservation apps to track reservations effectively.
We've begun discussions with leading software companies like Court Reserve and Play by Point. With enough clubs on board, we&
### ShowNotes for The Pickleball Brief Podcast
**Episode Title:** The Landscape of Pickleball Business and Industry Insights
**Hosts:** Robert Allen & Dave Feldman
**Summary:**
In this episode, Robert and Dave dive deep into the world of pickleball business. They discuss the mission behind their digital newsletter, Pickleball Brief, which aims to provide industry professionals with data-driven insights to gain a competitive edge in the rapidly growing sport. From analyzing market opportunities to highlighting pitfalls at the professional level, they offer a comprehensive look at what it takes to thrive in this niche.
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**Key Points Discussed:**
1. **Pickleball Industry Explosion:**
- The hosts talk about how pickleball is experiencing rapid growth but also facing challenges as new businesses scramble for market share in what's described as a "land grab."
2. **Business Strategy Advice:**
- Emphasis on learning from other industries' history to avoid repeating mistakes.
- Importance of having resources like Pickleball Brief that can help make informed decisions without losing first-mover advantage.
3. **Professional Level Chaos:**
- A candid discussion on recent controversies surrounding player contracts and league management.
- Lessons learned from other sports leagues are highlighted as cautionary tales for pickleball leadership.
4. **Data-Driven Decisions:**
- Upcoming article teased that will present never-before-seen data regarding court radius reach and its implications for marketing strategies.
5. **Content Philosophy:**
- Commitment to providing straightforward, actionable content devoid of fluff or unnecessary complexity.
6. **Community Engagement:**
- Encouragement for feedback from readership on issues faced within the industry so that solutions can be tailored accordingly.
7. **Observations on Leadership & Accountability:**
- Critique of poor decision-making by some organizations within pickle ball and calling out greed affecting players negatively.
8. **Future Predictions & Opportunities:**
- Speculation about whether current turmoil might allow a third entity to emerge as an industry leader due to lost credibility among existing organizations.
9. **Website & Newsletter Design Goals:**
– Overview of efforts being made towards creating an accessible website design with clear communication reflecting their value proposition.
10. **Merchandise Mention**:
– Highlighting apparel supporting pickle ball community growth (e.g., "Build More Courts" hat).
-- https://bangerpickle.com/collections/catalog/products/court-hat
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**Call-to-action:**
Listeners are encouraged to visit [picklebalbrief.com](http://picklebalbrief.com) where they can sign up for updates and ensure they don't miss out on valuable insights when launching formally occurs soon.
### Final Thoughts:
Robert Allen and Dave Feldman bring years of combined experience in strategic business development into play while discussing how those involved with pickle ball—from entrepreneurs building facilities to professional players—can navigate through exciting yet tumultuous times by making use of carefully curated information provided via their platform, Pickle Ball Brief.
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[End ShowNotes]